You Can't Go Home Again
by MusicalCatharsis
Summary: And I know they say you can't go home again, but sometimes... Aftermath of 1x10 I Do.


The constant purring of the engine quelled her mind for quite some time. She sat there, gazing out the window, happiness leaving her body. She gently wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, using the same finger to clear the other in the same movement. They used to be a package deal. She sighed, tracing the rain drops with her finger. She and Wyatt had been in the car for a day now, stopping every once in a while to stretch. Her mind wandering back to San Diego, back to the silent goodbyes she said to the sleeping men in her life, back home to her family.

And it killed her inside to know that they were probably out searching for her, finding nothing but a guitar and a family photo taken from a Saturday at the beach. She looks over to her travel companion, silently wondering why he picked her up on that street corner, why he allowed her to tag along with him, when they both knew her heart was still in the sunny state. When they both knew that she belonged to another.

They say you can't eat your cake and have it to. They were right; it was easy to stay when she hadn't given into desire, when she hadn't kissed him. But just the feel of his lips on hers, his hands wrapped around her waist, sent her sixteen year old body reeling. Spinning through the open air, trying, desperately to grab onto anything to keep her grounded, but all she found was him. And when she was with him, she felt as if she could fly. So when the gate opened and she looked into the eyes of the other man that mattered most in her life, she knew how big her mistake was. How could she have given into desire moments after her and Jude had gotten what they wanted?

But somewhere along the lines what they wanted split down the middle, what they wanted became what he wanted. And all she wanted was him. It was ironic really, how the situation had panned out, how she had stood and told the truth about Liam, but the very idea of putting aside her feelings and accepting the love she knew she deserved… She felt like a coward, and she didn't expect any one of them, least of all him, to ever forgive her. She was beyond forgiveness.

There was a map spread out across her lap, they were about one hundred miles from their destination by now, slowly crawling towards Gary, Indiana. The further away from home they got, the heavier the feeling in her stomach was. She was technically still a minor, no matter where she went, and though she knew this was just a ride, how would she fend for herself? She couldn't expect Wyatt's mother, who had to move back home to her parents, to take her in. Another stray mouth to feed, she would utter, and it would be like she was in the foster system again.

When they arrived to the flat state, she turned full circle and looked around. Pulling her hair up off of her neck and grabbing her bags. She faced him, silently begging him to give her any sense of direction. He walked over to her, sliding a crinkled note into her hand. Kissing her on the forehead and holding her to his body.

"For when you decide you can go home again." He said, before getting back into the car and driving away. Wyatt left her standing on the line between Indiana and Illinois, trying desperately to make a decision, before she huffed heaving her bag onto her shoulder, and walked north, further from home.

* * *

After three weeks the pain had dulled. The sting from putting themselves out there to have Callie flee in return. The kids still didn't quite know how to act, two of the being more surly than the others. Jude was understandable, his sister had left him in the middle of the night. Without a note, without her phone, without a trace. He sulked staring at her empty chair at the kitchen table. While Jude was sulking, Brandon was pacing, pointing to places on a map, and pulling at his hair in frustration.

He didn't miss the connection that Wyatt was also missing, but try as he might he kept getting road blocked when asked where the other boy had disappeared to. There was an understanding that no Foster should know where they two teens had went. Finally there came the time when everyone was settled enough to talk, calm enough without her presence to ask questions and wonder. Brandon was picking at his dinner when the question was asked; he dropped his fork to his plate with a loud clatter.

"What?" he said, gulping the rest of his food down.

"I asked if any of you have any idea of why she left." Lena said, taking a sip from her glass of wine. Brandon and Jude's eyes met across the table, Jude silently pleading for him to say something, or say nothing. It was a hard look to read. The older boy picked up his glass of water and took a long sip.

"Yeah, I have an idea." He said, the room going silent, all eyes now upon him. "The day of your wedding Callie had come to me to thank me for standing by her throughout her ordeal with Liam. And she told me that she knew what she deserved." His eyes slid closed as if the mere thought of her would make her materialize. And she did behind his eyes, he reached out softly under the table, reaching out for her hand. "I told her that I agreed, that she did deserve to be happy. And I kissed her, or she kissed me. Either way it happened. And Jude saw, she followed after him. It was the first time and clearly the last." He said, standing from the table to put his plate into the sink. His hands curled around the edge of the sink, shoulders shaking from the onset of tears.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I said some pretty hurtful things to her. I told her that she didn't care about me, that all she cared about was herself. That she was being selfish. I didn't mean any of it. She said to me later that night that she wasn't going to be selfish anymore. I would take it all back if it meant she would come home." Jude said, standing over by Brandon, wrapping his arms around the older boy's waist.

"I would trade everything Brandon, to make sure my sister was happy." Brandon knelt down in front of Jude, hastily wiping at his eyes.

"I would too, buddy."

* * *

It was raining in Ohio, a steady torrential downpour that caused her to take cover. She sat under a bus awning, with three pairs of socks on, two pairs of pants and four shirts under her jean jacket. She hadn't packed for the east coast, and she was freezing. Exhaustion bit at the back of her eyelids and hunger gnawed at her stomach, silently begging her to quiet it. From her position she could see into a diner across the street. There were five children sitting around with their parents. The kids were laughing and throwing food at each other. The parents scolding them in good nature. It made the pain in her heart double, quickly intensified by the tears that started streaming down her face.

And the people across the street took on new faces, and it was her family. The ones who loved her and took her in. Who made her feel like she finally had some place to belong. And the boy, there he was in her mind, the boy who made her feel so alive. Made her feel like she could accomplish anything she wanted.

She was running now, with her layers of clothes plastered to her skin, running towards the nearest street corner and taking a left, and then a right. And soon she was standing there in front of the station. She took a deep breath and went inside.

"Can I help you?" the officer asked, giving her a look of disgust at her dirty appearance.

"I'm from California. I'm the daughter of Office Stephanie Foster, and I'd like to go home again." She said, puffing out her chest. He handed her a phone, and she dialed the familiar number. It was answered on the third ring by a hollow sounding Marianna.

"Hello?" she said.

"Marianna." Callie whispered back.

"C-Callie, is that you?" Mari screeched into the phone, and if you listened you could hear the thundering footsteps coming down the stairs, and across the hall. You could see them all huddling around the receiver. "Hold on." Marianna said, you could hear the phone being passed around.

"Callie, baby?" Stef said, speaking into the phone. "Where are you?" She asked.

"Ohio," Callie responded. "Toledo, Ohio. Can I come home now?" she asked, the desperation apparent in her voice.

"Of course you can sweets. Are you safe where you are?" Callie nodded and then answered in the affirmative.

"Don't worry baby girl, stay there, we're coming to get you."

And I know they say that you can't go home again, but sometimes they're wrong.

* * *

**A/N: First of all I wanted to say what an episode. When they played Same Love by Macklemore, who as an artist I'm not very fond of, I cried my eyes out. And oh lord, that kiss. My heart went out to all of them, the entire episode was so well done. Secondly, Callie will be home soon guys, so don't worry. Thirdly, review. :)**


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